A Tiny Strip called Dannevirke

The first time I arrived in Dannevirke, my heart was pounding. A new place where I know no one. Not even one soul. And I have to live here for more than a month. It was a feeling I didn't care to have, but a feeling that was inescapable nonetheless. And to make matters worse, it was so small it made my hometown look like an entire country! Of course, since a long time ago, I've become a master at disguising my emotions, and disguise I did.

Slowly, one by one, I got to know the people of Dannevirke, and as pinoys tend to stick closely to their own kind, especially in another country, I got to know the pinoy community of Danne too! And let me tell you, they're an awesome bunch! I guess the loneliness of the place and the homesickness bonds everyone more than any other feeling. Missing your home country makes one want to spend more time with people who have the same background as they do. It makes the "missing" part so much more bearable.

At first, I hated the place. Or, wait, "disliked" might be the proper term since "hate" is so much stronger and my discontent isn't anywhere close to that strong a feeling. But you get the picture. I didn't like how there was so little to discover. How there were so few people in the town. It was barely a town. Almost ghost town-ish. That's how quiet it was. And being a girl who grew up in the big city, well, this was deafeningly silent for me.

But then, I started to really know the town. How the people, though scarce, are friendly. Yes, they ignore me, but that's because they don't know me and I tend to ignore them too. =) And of course, I got to go to some gatherings with the help of Allen and Mercy. If you want a party, these two are the go-to persons. They are on top of all Pinoy social gatherings in Danne. =D And I was fortunate enough to have been a friend of theirs.

And so even for a short time, Dannevirke felt like a happy place.

xoxo

-hny-